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London has a $12-million snow-removal budget, buried in 2013 by an early winter pounding. With six weeks to go until spring, in a winter that’s already dumped a season and a half of snow, Jennifer O’Brien digs deeper into the costs.

LONDON SNOW-CLEARING TABS

2014: $12 million

2013: $13.9 million ($2 million over budget)

2012: $9.93 million

2011: $12.5 million

2010: $13 million

2009: $10.8 million

2014:

January:

$1.6 million, more bills to come. Does not include month-ending three-day storm.

2013:

Total: $13.9 million

Dec.: $4,470,000

Nov.: $1,460,000

Oct: $201,000

THE NITTY GRITTY

Overtime: It often accounts for one-fifth of the labour bill, with storms that rage two or three days.

Salt and sand: Think it’s dirt cheap? Consider the recent bills:

2014:

January: $660,000, with more to come

2013:

December: $970,000

November $750,000

October: $0

Average cleanup costs

It works out to about $250,000 per snowfall day, but that can vary. The big, three-day storm that capped January cost about $750,000.

THE BIG ONE

Which storm so far this season was the most taxing on the city?

“The one in November (Nov. 24, 2013), when the kids were off school for three days . . . We got 70 cm over a number of days and we were working day and night. It was heavy and it was blowing snow for days and cold temperature . . . it took us over budget, quite frankly.”

— Edward Soldo, city director of roads and transportation

WHAT’S YET TO COME

“You’ve got a whole winter’s worth of snow almost, and it’s only the first week of February. And it does look bad in terms of what’s going to happen the rest of the year.”

— Peter Kimbell, Environment Canada meteorologist

THE BUDGET OUTLOOK

With the winter we’re having, will it break the 2014 budget?

“At this point, while we are a little higher than a normal January, we anticipate that we will stay on budget,” said Soldo. “February and March are usually high months and we budget for that.”

BURIED

— Since October, London’s had 186.5 cm of snow, about 40% more than the seasonal average to this point of 136 cm, according to Environment Canada.

— The yearly average for the city is 202 cm.

SNOWFALL BY THE MONTH

February: 30+ cm already; typical February is 38 cm

January: 75 cm

December: 45 cm

November: 35.5 cm

Poll

Are you satisfied with the snow-removal service in your neighbourhood?